Order From Chaos
by kkcaleb13
Summary: Arkham has just named it's latest nut-case; the new therapist! A man wrapped in mystery, he's already reformed Poison Ivy and the Riddler. But just what is this man hiding from his patients and Batman? Why is he so fascinated with Harley Quinn? Who(or what) is he? And most of all, why is Raven in Gotham? Rated M for seriously hardcore scenes, and flat-out awesome craziness.
1. Introduction to Insanity

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN EXACTLY ZERO POINT ZERO PERCENT OF THE BATMAN AND TEEN TITAN FRACHISES... BUT DREAMS OF MORE (OR BETTER) SHOWS FOR THE FRANCHISES HAVE MY COMPLETE SUPPORT**

* * *

Harley looked around her cell room, she never really thought about it, but this room was where she spent a lot of time. Arkham Asylum... how many times had Batman tossed her into the back of a cop car that drove her to the gates, before she was escorted to this room? It didn't matter to her, she knew she would get out soon enough, Mr. J would pull through for her, or at least give her an opening.

She smiled at his picture on the wall... her happy Mr. J, nothing quite like it. She was still staring when her cell door opened, "Hello? Is this Harleen Quinzel's cell?"

Harley felt a slight sting as she heard her real name... that undeniable proof that she was once normal, and that she had existed before she met Mr. J, but she didn't need to show weakness to a stranger, so she didn't bother looking at him, "Ain't nobody here with a name like that"

"Oh... well, could you tell me which cell is hers? There's a package for her"

"Package? What's in it?"

"Dunno, it's just a box, feels a little light"

Harley looked up to see that her intruder was a young man, probably in his thirties, black hair, wearing shades, a plain t-shirt, and some blue jeans, "Gimme that", she took it quickly, looked it over, and then shook it, "Is it from a Mr. J?"

"No, Batman left it on the front steps. The Joker's still in his cell, I know, I just talked to him"

Harley grabbed his shirt, "Wadda you talkin' to _my_ Mr. J for?!"

The intruder didn't get mad, he just smiled and waved, "I'm the new therapist here at Arkham. My name's Rock, Sate Rock. Is there anything I can do for you, Ms. Quinzel?"

She was a bit surprised, a therapist? In Arkham? "Listen, I dunno who ya think ya are, but unless ya got a death wish, plead a mid-life crisis and get oughta here, otherwise, pissing me off by not calling me Harley will be the least of your troubles"

Rock put his hand on her fist and pushed it down slowly, "Antonio Diego said the same thing. I'm not scared to be here. I'm going to do my job as best I can, starting with getting to know the residents. Is there anything I can do to make your stay better, Harley? Other than break you out, that is"

"Ya gonna get your head blown off, ya know that, doncha?"

"A lot of people have tried, and as for the mid-life crisis plea, it wouldn't work, I'm twenty-one"

Harley stared at him as he walked out of her cell, as calm as he was when he walked in, closing the door without looking back at her. She looked at the box, what would Batman want to give her? It was probably a bug of some sort. That must be it, she tore open the box to find it was very different. There were no electronics of any kind in the box. Just a picture of two hyena's, happily chewing down on a pile of meat, with the word, "Rock has been taking care of them, he found them in an alley, starving. He's a good guy, so please, don't be too hard on him. Yours Truly, Ivy", written on the bottom.

Harley stared at the picture, those were her dogs, Bud and Lou, the only two real beings in the world that had ever protected her... and she had just met the man that not only saved them, but had lived to meet Poison Ivy as well.

Just who the Hell was this guy?!

* * *

Freeze looked at the equipment that had been transferred into his cell, and he was thoroughly impressed that all of it, save the weaponized pieces, had been moved without so much as a scratch, "I never thought you would actually pull off all of this"

Rock smiled, "Hey, from what I've seen, the only reason you ever break out of Arkham is to get back to your research. So, if it's better that you stay here, then why not just keep your equipment here, where I can monitor it?"

"That does sound like a good idea, but what would happen to you if I were to use any of it for an escape attempt?"

"You're a smart man, Victor, if I let an inmate escape, on account of my requests gone wrong, I won't be working here very long. That's why, I'm your new partner"

"Partner?"

"I did a full analysis of your research before I brought anything in, without me, you can't even turn the computers on. Lucky for you, I'm more than just a good therapist, while I was looking through your cure and your wife's condition, I noticed several points that were restricting your research, namely, that you couldn't create certain reactions to test new cures because the chemicals to create a substitute hadn't been developed", he held up a test tube full of green liquids, "Now they have"

Freeze looked at the vial, "The technology required to create the chemicals I need won't be perfected for years"

Rock smiled, "Nope, that's why I make a good partner, I can help you synthesize as much as you need, even to advance that cure of yours. Cryogenics is your area of expertise, so why don't we add a beyond world-class chemist to the team of making a cure?"

Freeze stared at him closely, "I do not trust people on a whim"

"... Nothing personal, but I just gave you your lab, and I'm trying to help you. If anything, I shouldn't trust you, you have more to gain, but I am. Because I've read up about you, Victor, you're not a monster like the other inmates here, you just want one thing: your wife back. My job is to reform the inmates so they can leave here, sane people. Let me do my job, let me help you"

Freeze took the vial, "I'll examine the contents of this vial, after that, we'll talk"

Rock held his hands up and walked out, "Fair's fair, see you tomorrow, Victor"

Freeze placed the sample in his analyzer as he began to check the composition of it, his eyes widened as he realized it; Rock had been telling the truth, he was truly an out-of-this-world chemist...

* * *

Tim Drake sat down in the office, it was just a small, therapist's office, complete with a chair to lay in. Tim's leg was twitching, he had been waiting for hours, staring at the strangly calming ink blots and anticipating disaster. He was disappointed when Rock walked into the office, still in one piece, "How do you like my office? I think it's a little too big"

Tim gave him a good looking-over, "You're... fine"

"Don't sound so disappointed"

"You just walked through Arkham Asylum, with no equipment whatsoever"

"And?"

"You personally spoke with all of the inmates"

"Not _all_ of them, just the ones that requested therapy. I still have one more patient to visit, anyway. I wish somebody would tell me what his name is"

"The Joker requested therapy?"

"Yeah, he's gonna try to kill me, I know. He's probably planning to use me as a hostage to escape, too"

"So... you're going to skip today's session?"

"No way. What kind of therapist just forgets about his patient?"

"I don't get you... you tracked down Batman, then you turn insist on becoming a therapist at Arkham, just what is it you want?"

"I don't want anything, I don't have anything to hide, either. Me and Batman discussed everything, and I'm here with his permission. The only terms I had to accept were that you be his eyes on me, holding me to our deal"

"What deal did you two make?"

"... If you really need to know, ask Batman, if not, I've got a patient to see, so if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare", Rock said nothing else as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a closed box.

* * *

Rock opened the door to quite possibly the most decorated cell he'd seen all day, it was covered wall-to-wall with writing and newspaper clippings, all of it had to do with Batman. He smiled as he looked around, "You're right, it is nice and neat in here"

Rock didn't move as Joker pressed a blade to his throat, "What are you doing here? I told you to slide them under the door"

Rock held up a plate full of pancakes and some syrup, "And let the rust from the door get on them? C'mon, who wants rusty pancakes?"

"Still, you didn't listen to me"

"I didn't listen to Batman, either"

"You didn't say anything about the bat earlier..."

"You didn't ask. Why don't we clear things up, I asked Batman to get me here, and he did. I don't have any other relation to him, if I die, he shouldn't care, I asked for it""

"Sorry, but I don't buy it. A do-gooder like you, wanting to come to a place like this? And Batman, sending you in here? Like a lamb to the slaughter?"

"Do some checking on who's the shepard, I would've come here anyway, Batman just gave me a shortcut"

"So... you just... want to die?"

"A little, but that's not why I came here"

"Then why are you here?"

Rock held up the syrup, "It's a sticky situation, you could say"

The Joker scoffed, "Please, that's the weakest joke I've heard all day"

"My humor's flimsy... my pancakes aren't", he held up the plate.

"I don't eat anything I didn't cook"

"Trouble must taste delicious then"

The Joker smiled, "It is... and you know what? That joke wasn't so bad... too bad I still have to kill you"

Rock was swift, as he disarmed the Joker and broke the knife against the floor, putting the two of them on equal ground, "Can't we just have pancakes, instead?"

"Sorry, I got a date with a flying rodent I don't want to miss"

"Alright, tell you what, we'll fight for it. If you win, I'll _accidentally_ forget my keys to all the cells in yours, a free pass to all the cells in Arkham"

The Joker licked his lips, "And if I lose?"

"We do pancakes instead"

"You think I need you to do whatever I want?"

"No, I think you'd like to beat the shit out of me and give Batman a very good reason to visit you. What do ya' say? You up for it?"

The Joker held his fists up, "This is gonna be fun"

* * *

Tim stared at Rock, his gaze unwavering, until it finally bothered Rock, "What? Do I have lettuce in my teeth?"

Tim didn't know what to say, "You just visited the Joker"

"I'm starting to get irritated by these statements of obvious facts"

"What happened in there?"

"He ate some pancakes and we talked, that's it"

"What did you talk about?"

"Not allowed to say, client confidentiality"

"Really?"

"Really, because he's a human being, and he has the same rights you do"

"I think I get a little more credit on being a human being than he does"

"Why? He's got a heart and a brain, just like you"

"So that puts him on the same level as me?"

"In terms of being a human being, yes"

"... I heard about your deal"

"Good, then I don't have to talk about it with you"

"Why Quinn?"

"Her name is Harleen Quinzel, it's not 'Quinn'. Call her by her name, or by Harley, those are names she has accepted and uses"

"Still, out of everyone here, she's the one you have to make progress on?"

"... There's a reason for it, leave it at that"

Tim was silent for a long moment, just trying to think of a subject to change to, "I heard you got in a fight with Bane"

"Antonio Diego, yes, we had an altercation. I insisted that he wasn't invincible, he insisted he was as long as he had Venom. I proved him wrong"

"How? How did you fight him?"

"I know what it feels like, to rely on an object to feel safe, to think that it's the difference between life and death. The first step is seeing that an object isn't gonna be what decides your life, some people need to see that the hard way"

"That's not what I meant"

"You meant, 'How did you defeat an opponent that is overwhelmingly superior in almost every way?', right?"

"Yeah, that's what I meant"

"Easy, he was as superior as you thought he was, at least not to me"

"Are you saying he was weak?"

"Weak? No, he wasn't weak. I was just... strong"

"Batman wouldn't give me your file, told me to ask you instead. So please, explain to me who you are"

"... I'm just trying to help. You already know that I helped Edward Nygma turn away from crime via treatment and assisted him create the game show 'Riddle Me This'. That... and the fact that I have a... unique relation to Pamela Isely, what more do you want to know?"

"Where were you born?"

"Antarctica"

"Where did you go to school?"

"I didn't, I learned from experience and experts, not teachers and lectures"

"How strong are you?"

"In terms of numbers, my bench press is nearly three times my body weight"

"That's not strong enough to beat Bane"

"And just how strong does one have to be to beat Antonio Diego? Bench press a truck? Two? You and Batman haven't done it, yet people believe in the two of you to subdue him, so why is it so outrageous that I be able to do it? Is it because I don't look like a caped crusader? I don't have that aura of power to me?"

"That's not-"

"Please, stop while you're behind. If you have any more questions, think them over carefully and then ask them if they don't downgrade someone that you see as 'evil', because they're still people"

Tim was so quiet it hurt, even Bruce had never managed to make him feel this... horrible about himself, "How do you know Poi-... Pamela Isely?"

Rock sighed, "Well, you're trying... I guess I can tell you. Imagine that you were just beaten within an inch of your life, a hit to the head, and it's all over. Then, you're placed out in the middle of a burning field, too exhausted to escape, you're going to die. Then, out of nowhere, you're saved by some random stranger with a lot of water, you'd be grateful, right? Or would you try to stab them to death, and watch as they slowly laugh at you, because to them... it's just funny"

"She tried to kill you?"

"Yes... and no... like I said... it's complicated"

"One more thing, I found this in your mail box", Tim held up a small silver ring with Latin words engraved into it, "_Actus reus ab intra_"

"It means 'guilty act from within'. It's from Pamela... she wants to talk with me"

"Where is she?"

"I have no idea, toss me the ring", Tim flung it into Rock's hands and he rubbed the words on it, "... She was recently in the Amazon, admiring the rainforest, or what's left of it. Tim, do me a favor, go home for tonight"

"Why?"

"Please, Tim, if this is the only thing you do for me today, go home now and get some sleep"

"Then it looks like I'm not doing anything for you today", Tim crossed his arms to show he was serious... right before he fell over, unconscious.

A red-haired beauty in skimpy, green clothes walked through the door, "I let myself in"

Rock smiled, "Hey, Pamela, how was the Amazon?"

"Oh, it was beautiful, all of those rare and blooming plants, I could have done without the sapiens and other mammals, though"

"What did you want to talk about?"

"How's Harley doing? Is she okay?"

"I don't know, today, she just barely spoke to me, I'll have to examine her tomorrow"

"If there are any wounds on her body-"

"Pamela, remember what I said. From what you told me about her, she's bound to have at least one. You can't change a person just because you want to, they have to change themselves. Look at you and me, for example"

Ivy sighed, "... Why does she let him hurt her?"

"I can't tell you that right now. But what I can, is that she didn't just try to flat-out kill me... and that she responded to her real name"

"Her real name?"

"Mm-hmm. That's good, it means that, deep down, she still knows that she is her own person, not just his punching bag"

"I still think he should die"

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I fought with him today?"

"Only if you didn't hold back"

"Pamela, you know I wouldn't ever do that to anyone"

"I know... so how are things here? You doing well?"

"Somewhat, it's getting late, I need to..."

Ivy frowned, "I still can't believe you have to go through that... that anyone would force that onto another living being"

"Maybe that's why you liked me, me and Harley share a tolerance for pain"

"Hey, what did you do with her dogs? I don't see them around the office..."

"They're safe at home, playing around and chewing on stuff, like dogs do"

"You be sure not to tell her about them, alright? Or she'll tear you limb from limb until you bring them to her"

"Don't worry, I've already got it worked out. She'll be able to see the dogs everyday"

"How's that?"

"I have a certain blind friend that needs a seeing eye dog, and he just happens to have two"

"Look at you, being devious and breaking the rules!"

"I know, you've been a bad influence on me, now go on, I need to get this kid home and then back to mine, so I'll be ready for tomorrow"

Ivy frowned one more time as she walked to the door, "Bye"

Rock smiled and waved, "Bye", Rock looked down at Tim, and he knew, he was in for a long night...

* * *

Dick Grayson looked across the city from the top of a tall building and watched as his target got into a car. Even though he was now Nightwing, he could still feel the grudge he'd been holding from when he'd faced Poison Ivy as Robin. It burned him up that she was driving down the road casually, as if she'd wasn't an evil maniac. He trailed her to a small, run-down apartment building, which confused him, unless she'd overrun it with plants, an old building wasn't really in Poison Ivy's tastes.

He watched her get out of the car, then hide in an alley, peeking around the corner. The only other person around was some normal guy that walked into the building. He waited until she came out of the ally before landing in front of her, "Funny meeting you here"

Poison Ivy looked afraid, "Please, don't attack, I'll go with you peacefully"

Nightwing pulled out his staff, "I'm sure you will"

"Please, stop, you don't understand-"

"No, I understand perfectly"

Nightwing's confidence was shattered as he felt two hands cover his face, "Now you understand", Rock laid his unconscious body down gently before falling to his knees, "It's starting..."

Ivy steadied him, "Sate!"

He looked up at her, "I'm... fine... go on... go home...", his eyes shut as soon as he finished talking, leaving only Ivy standing over him, as a slight snow fell over Gotham.

* * *

Harley had barely slept all night, so when her cell door opened, she was ready to shout, "WHERE THE HELL ARE MY BABIES?!"

Her loud screams were met by a lethargic Rock, who looked like he'd just been dragged out of hell, "Here", he snapped his fingers and the two hyenas charged into her cell, licking her face and making her smile, "Is that all?"

"Ha ha ha ha!", Harley laughed away, happy to see her dogs again, "Thanks for feedin' em'!"

"Yeah, sure...", Rock turned to leave, but he was stopped as the dogs started whimpering, "Really, guys? Okay", Rock smiled softly at the dogs as they charged over to him and playfully licked his face, "Alright, down, boys, go back to mommy"

With a skip in their step, they ran back over to Harley who was a bit out of it, "Hey, Mr. Therapist, how do you know red?"

"Red?"

"Yeah, ya know, Poison Ivy, how come she wants me to be nice ta you?"

Rock stopped, then he started laughing, and the dogs got in front of Harley, like they did when she was in danger, "Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha! Red! Because her hair's red! That's funny!"

"Sheesh, it ain't a joke, ya lunatic! It ain't even funny!"

"... But nicknames always are funny. The way people think they change themselves just by saying they're different, just by making up a new name, isn't it stupid?"

"Ya callin' me stupid?"

"What makes you think that? Harley's just a shorter version of your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah... it is"

"So it's not a nickname, it's still your name. Oh, here, I almost forgot", he tossed her a bottle of shampoo, "Here, I saw that your hair was getting roughed up, so I got you some shampoo. You should take better care of your hair"

"My hair?", she pulled on her long, blonde hair, finding it really was damaged, "I don't need no shampoo"

"What about bandages? Do you have any bruises or other injuries?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Pamela asked me to check, she was worried about you being hurt. Are you hurt?"

Harley crossed her arms, "I'm fine"

"If I promise not to tell Pamela, will you tell me the truth?"

"Why would I tell you and not Red?"

"Because I won't be gunning at Mr. J, and I won't get mad at you. If you're hurt, it's my job to help you feel better, so please, give me a break?"

Harley gave him one last looking over, "Ya can leave me a first-aid kit, I can take care of myself"

"No, I can't, if I do, I'll get fired, then I'll have to...", Rock stopped for a second, as a sick, twisted smile started to spread out across his face, and his eyes let out a deep, horrible stare. After the second passed, Rock shook his head and shivered, "... just let me see your wounds"

Harley was entranced, "That look... what were you gonna do?"

"It doesn't matter, you're gonna show me your wounds"

"Nope, I wanna see that smile again!", she playfully ran away from him, "You're gonna smile! You're gonna smile!"

Rock grabbed her by the throat at super-human speed, pinning her up against the wall without any consideration for the pain she felt, "Stop playing games!", the only thing scarier than his strength was the sick smile he had while he held her in place, "I'll see those scars, even if I have to make new ones..."

Harley had been pinned down before, but she'd never been quite so afraid to have a hand at her throat. As she could feel the grip tightening, she could only squeeze out a few words, "Please... stop...", the grip loosened as tears started to run down her face. She saw the eyes of her attacker; fear, sadness, and above all else, a deep self-loathing. To her, it was like looking in the mirror after the Joker had kicked her out, only intensified.

Rock let her go and backed away, tripping over his own feet and shaking. He pushed himself against the wall and started rocking himself back and forth, his eyes twitching. He was terrified, even the hyena's licking his face didn't snap him out of it. In the moment he was spending to recuperate, Harley felt sorry for him, she'd seen breakdowns before, but even her own didn't compare to what she saw in his eyes. Rock continued to well... rock himself, as if it was slowly was taking away the pain, "Stop... it'll stop... it'll stop..."

She approached him slowly, "You alright there, doc?"

Rock turned to look at her, as his expression returned to normal, "Yeah... I'm fine... here", he handed her a ring with a bunch of keys on it, "I'm sure you and Mr. J can take it from there"

"Ya givin' me the keys?"

"Just... go... go see you're damn homicidal maniac so he can beat the shit out of you! And while you're at it?", he pulled out a pistol and put it to his head, "Pull the damn trigger! Do it! You're a killer, aren't you?!"

Harley's grip on the gun was weak, if the Joker had told her to do it, she might've been able to, but some small part of her knew that he didn't really want to die, that he was having an episode, "N-No... you don't want to die..."

"So? You kill people, don't you?! Isn't that what makes you Harley Quinn?!"

Harley became scared as he leaned forward, she knew, if he got the gun back, it was game over, and that he could take it from her in a heartbeat. So she did the first thing she could think of: she shot his foot, "There, I shot ya, ya happy now?!"

Rock smiled as he looked down at his foot, "I knew it"

Now she was confused, "Knew what?"

"That you would shoot my foot. If you wanted to, you could've killed me, but you didn't, because killing people isn't who you are"

"What?"

"That was an assessment test, Harley. Only a smart, capable, and sound-minded person could've made that shot. One that cared about the life of another human being. You just broke the illusion that you're nothing more than a mindless henchman. I think that's enough for today, is there anything I can get you, other than an escape?"

Harley looked to see he'd snatched back the keys, "I ain't stupid, I know a look like that when I see one, doc. You're crazy, a bona fide psycho!"

Rock walked to the door, as if his foot was completely fine, "Of course I'm crazy, I'm a therapist, after all"

As the cell doors shut, Harley looked at her dogs, and for the first time, they weren't looking at her in concern, they were looking at the cell door.

* * *

Freeze looked over Rock's shoulder as he typed away, "You seem rather out of it today"

Rock looked back at Freeze, his fingers still typing away, "I'm having a very long day, am I failing to create better results?"

Freeze shook his head, "No, no. I just find it odd that you're typing speed has decreased since yesterday, and that your mood is considerably worse"

"It's called not sleeping, I'll get over it"

"I also noticed that you brought in a pair of hyena's today"

"Yeah, I gave Harley her damn dogs back, so what?"

"How did you acquire them?"

"Harley told me where to find them"

"Then why did you say you 'gave them back'? That implies that you already had them"

"Shut the hell up and keep working, before I change my mind and take a break"

Freeze let his eyebrows scrunch together as he continued to type away as well, "Why are you so absorbed with Harley Quinn? She's been the first person you see everyday since you started working here"

"I have a routine, bite me"

"One that is already set with Quinn"

"Her name is Harley, Victor. Just like you are Dr. Victor Fries, she is Dr. Harleen Quinzel"

"She's a doctor?"

"Therapist, graduated top of her class, she made grades that came straight from a parent's dream, all A's"

"That is an interesting fact I was unaware of"

"I know, now, can we please return to the task at hand?"

"I'm still working, as you are still typing, but this is an odd pattern, I'm just concerned that it may begin to cause problems in the future"

"Don't be, this has nothing to do with any of my patients, it's a personal matter that I will take care of"

"So there _is_ something distracting you"

Rock stopped typing and turned to look at Freeze, "Listen, Victor, I appreciate the fact that you care about my mental state. Really, it means a lot, but please, leave this alone, you can't change or fix it, it's something I have to do myself. So, to be polite, thank you for your concern, but please, just drop it"

"You are trusting me with weapons but not personal issues?"

"Okay... let's try a different route, Victor? Do me a favor, shut the hell up"

"Did you just tell me to-"

"Stuff it down your throat before I do it for you. Button your yap. Shut the pie hole. Make the noise stop. Calm your yammering skullcave. Take it down a notch. Need I go on?"

"You have a lot of nerve, speaking to me like that"

Rock looked at him his gaze still unwavering, "Okay... I have had a _VERY_ rough morning, so I'll indulge you in your need for respect", Rock stood up and popped his knuckles, "You used to be an Olympic champion, right? Good, this won't be boring"

Freeze smiled, "If you think I'm going easy on you, you're sorely mistaken"

"If I wanted easy, I would've got into it with some of the lesser inmates around here"

"Prepare to be knocked out cold"

"Bring it, Iceman"

* * *

Dick shook his head, trying to get the ringing out of his ears. Alfred handed him a bottle of water, "You should be more careful, master Dick, you let your emotions get the best of you"

Dick took a sip and rubbed his forehead, "Emotions or not, Poison Ivy shouldn't be allowed to run wild"

"She isn't, and you would know, if you listened to me", Bruce Wayne stared, unapprovingly from the Batcomputer, "She's reformed, she isn't killing anyone anymore"

"That's the first I've heard of this"

"Like I said, listen to the communicator I gave you, it'll save you a lot of trouble"

"And just what proof do we have that she's not psycho?"

"Sate Rock, the newest therapist at Arkham Asylum, he's the one that reformed her, along with Edward Nygma"

"Wait, the Riddler?"

"I can understand that you wouldn't know, seeing as how you don't watch a lot of television, but Nygma's changed, he doesn't kidnap people anymore, they come running to be on his game show, 'Riddle Me This'. If you don't believe me, check the T.V. upstairs, every episode is on record"

"He made the Riddler into a game show host?"

"All his own doing, the fans feed Nygma's need for attention, the show let's him feel superior over the contestants, as none of them have ever beaten all of his riddles. It's everything Nygma's ever wanted, and he doesn't have to kill people"

Dick though that over for a minute, "What happens if someone were to answer all his questions correctly?"

"That's the thing about the show, it's a double-or-nothing game, it doesn't end until the contestant quits. No matter how much money a contestant gets, in the end, they still have to give in to Nygma's riddles, so it doesn't matter who plays, Nygma will still enjoy it"

"That's brilliant"

Alfred smiled, "But it does make one curious about this Sate Rock, does it not? We can all agree that this was an excellent plan, devised with a great purpose, but it leaves one question"

Bruce looked up, "Why would he do it? What did he have to gain from helping Nygma?"

Dick stood up, "I want to know more about this Rock guy, everything you just told me about him seems a little too good to be true"

Bruce looked at the notification he just received, "No need, I have Drake keeping eyes on him. This can't be right..."

Dick looked at the computer, "What the...? That guy!", Dick pointed at the video displayed on the screen, "Poison Ivy was tailing him last night! I saw him before I was knocked unconscious! What the hell is he doing to Mr. Freeze?!"

A loud bodyslam was echoed from the computer screen, "Putting him on ice... now he's helping him up... and they appear to be working on something together"

Dick looked at the message displayed underneath the video feed, "We need to talk, I don't know what to do, you need to explain this to me"

"Tim's having trouble understanding just how Sate Rock is taking down the hardest-fighting villains in Gotham, one by one"

"Villains? With an 's'? Who else has this guy taken down?"

"He fought both Bane and the Joker in hand-to-hand combat, and won both times"

"Alright, now _I_ need an explanation"

"... I'll tell you once Drake gets back, for now, I have other business to take care of"

* * *

Rock sighed as he stared at his patient, "How are you feeling today?"

The massive wall of flesh before him just stared into the distance, "I have had better days"

"Antonio, I know that this isn't going to be an easy question, but how many canisters of Venom have you had today?"

"As many as I needed"

"Could you give me a number?"

"Twenty-one"

"Okay, and how many did you use yesterday?"

"Twelve"

"You understand why you took so much more today, right?"

"Because I want a rematch"

"That's not why, you know that, I told you why yesterday. You have to accept the real reason you use Venom, or your addiction will never get any better"

"... Rematch, now"

"Antonio, you can't keep avoiding this, it's going to ruin your mind, and your body"

"My body is fine, I have no more use for words", Bane stood up, "We fight now"

"Antonio... if this is they way it has to be, I won't hold back"

"You will still lose"

Rock sighed, "... Fine, you need to see the truth, even if I have to hit you in the face with it"

Bane shouted as he charged at Rock, who allowed Bane to pick him up and slam him against the wall, leaving a crater in it. Bane continued to slam him against the wall repeatedly, until he stopped moving. Bane panted hard, until he felt something grab his arm, his eyes opened to find that not only was Rock conscious, Rock was pulling him down by his arm, and planting a hard uppercut on his chin. It was only one hit, but that blow was hard enough to knock Bane off of him and into the ground.

Rock stood over Bane, holding his broken sunglasses, "Damn it, Antonio... when are you gonna understand that Venom isn't going to make you invincible? All it does is make you feel invincible, and the sooner you realize that, the better"

Bane's head was ringing, his vision was blurred, and he was almost certain that his jaw was completely shattered, but though all of that, the only thing he could focus on were those two eye. The eyes of the man that had beaten him not once, but twice, the man with one green eye, and one white eye.

* * *

Bruce, Tim, and Dick all just watched in awe, it was something they never thought they'd see with their own eyes: Alfred was making jokes. In the few short minutes that Rock had spent in the Batcave, he'd ignored everything inside and immediately started chatting with Alfred, like the two of them had been friends for years. Bruce cleared his throat, "Rock, we need to talk"

Rock wiped a tear from his eye and walked over to them, "Sorry, you're right, this is serious"

"You already know Tim Drake, this is Dick Grayson, a personal friend of mine"

"So you're Nightwing?"

Dick was taken aback, "How did you-"

"Not that you didn't have reason to, but you shouldn't just jump at someone who looks suspicious. Dr. Isely has changed since the last time you saw her"

Bruce held his hand up, "That aside, Tim believes that he should know more about you, seeing as he's protecting you. Not to mention the fact that I, myself, am a little more curious as to how you managed to fend off your patients in Arkham"

Rock's expression changed to a more serious one, "I didn't fend them off, we came to understandings. I don't fight them, that implies that I'm trying to hurt them"

"Fair enough, the floor is yours, tell us more about you, Dr. Rock"

"You know my name, you know what I've done, what more is there to know?"

Dick spoke up, "You displayed the physical strength to beat Bane and Mr. Freeze, that isn't a human one"

"When I was little, I was exposed to certain... conditions that allowed me to enhance my body's capabilities"

"What kind of conditions?"

"... The extreme kind, don't ask again"

"Where did you grow up?"

"The first fourteen years of my life were spent in Antarctica, after that, I traveled to many countries. The last of which being America, where I've stayed for five years"

"How did you meet the Riddler and Poison Ivy?"

"I met Dr. Isely in Antarctica, she was half-dead when I found her. As for Dr. Nygma, I met him after a trip to a neurology lab in north Gotham"

"Are there any other villains you know that you'd like to talk about?"

"No, none that... wait, go back!", Rock shoved them aside as he pointed at the computer screen Bruce had been typing on, "Go back to that last picture!"

Bruce did as instructed and pulled up a file on Solomon Grundy, "What do you know about Solomon Grundy?"

Rock sighed, "That he's still the same old Grundy I know... where is he right now?"

Bruce squinted, "You never mentioned anything about Grundy before, how do you know him?"

Rock went quiet, "... Please, just let me see him"

"No, not until you explain yourself"

Rock ran his hand through his hair, "He and I are friends, alright? Tell me where he is"

"You've been withholding information from me, why should I trust you?"

Rock was silent, he didn't have an answer, "... Fine, keep your information, I need to go home an get some rest. Goodnight Tim, Dick. See you later, Alfred"

Alfred sighed as Rock went up the elevator, "I do believe you're being too hard on him, Master Wayne"

Bruce stared at Solomon Grundy's photo, "He was keeping secrets, Alfred"

"And you weren't?"

"I had my reasons"

"And you're the only one with a reason to keep a secret? Master Wayne, you still don't understand that everyone has a mind and makes decisions on their own. Sometimes, they can even be right about something"

"Why would he hide a connection with Solomon Grundy from me? What reason would he have?"

"Master Wayne, how many people do you know are open about the identity of their half-dead, rotting, murderous friends? Other than yourself, that is"

"That was a little low, don't you think, Alfred?"

"No, Master Wayne, I don't. You may know many things about your new friend, but if you would simply talk with him, you may see him in a different light"

"And what light would that be, Alfred?"

"A better one, Master Wayne. Dr. Rock has, in a single day, defeated some of your greatest enemies. One would expect him to either be extremely proud of this or simply act the way you do; as if it were nothing. However, Dr. Rock and I discussed a great deal of things, and he admits to these accomplishments being difficult, yet he dismisses them because he believes that there are better things he could do"

"Such as?"

"Give his enemies salvation, Master Bruce. Something that nobody else on this planet is willing to give them"

Bruce stared at the computer screen as he pondered this... when he had been approached by Rock, he figured that the kid had maybe one miracle in him. That maybe, just maybe, he could lure Quinn back to sanity and keep her there, at least longer than she was there normally. But salvation? An honest door out of the insanity?

Bruce Wayne wasn't the first to fall victim to Dr. Rock's surprises, but as far as impressions went, he was definitely the champion of Gotham.

* * *

Rock groaned as he stretched his arms out, most people experience a small amount of pain when they do so, but for him, the pain was a little more intense. But as far as his mornings went, he was doing pretty good, considering how bad his previous mornings had been. His mood brightened as he got in the shower, the warm water running softly over his skin. He remembered his promise, "It's good to be alive"

As he said the words, he knew they sounded sarcastic, but even with the sarcasm pooling around his lips, he knew that they were true. After thinking it over for a second, he smiled and looked down at his arms, thinking of how foolish he was. He didn't need to look at the countless scars that plagued his forearms to know they were there, he could've traced them over with a pinhead, while blindfolded. They made him feel like a hypocrite, but they were a part of who he was, even if he hid it underneath long sleeves.

He put on his clothes and fixed his hair, smiling as he grabbed his shades. As he put them on, he smiled, the shades were special, not that anyone would ever be able to tell. He pushed the thought from his mind as he opened the door to his apartment. His world stopped when he saw Ivy, waiting for him in the hallway, "Hey, Rock… sorry, but today's the day"

Rock was taken aback in shock, "No… not today, it can't be today! Please! Isn't there any way?! What about Nygma?!"

"He can't do it either, Rock. Nothing personal, but I'm not ready to take on that responsibility"

"No… alright… I guess I should've prepared for this sooner… how long?"

"Waiting for you outside… again, I'm just really sorry"

"Don't be… it shouldn't be weighing on your conscious anyway… just go"

"Are you sure? You don't want me to-"

"NO!", the way his voice shook the building, it was unlike anything else on the planet. Ivy was trembling out of fear, it could be said with confidence that his shout shook the Earth, but his expression afterward was more melted than anything else, "I'm sorry… it really is fine, just… do what you have to do, I can take care of it"

Ivy was a little less than shaky, but she tried to stand firm, "How many times was it last night?"

Rock smiled wistfully, "Just one"

"That's… tremendously better"

"Yeah… it is"

"It isn't my business, but, you don't think… she's doing it, do you?"

"… I'll just have to see won't I?"

* * *

Harley prepared her sledgehammer to strike at the first person that came through her cell door, no matter who it was. She'd made up her mind, she was grateful that someone had fed her babies, so she would only hit him once on the head, enough to knock him out without killing him. Harley wasn't without manners, she would always repay her debts.

As the door swung open, she brought down her hammer with all her strength and shouted, "Babies, go!"

Her buzz was thoroughly killed as the hammer was stopped, "Harley, I'm not in the mood today"

Harley found a very down-trodden Rock holding the other end of her hammer, "What the?"

Rock tossed it aside, "I've had a very long morning, and I didn't get much sleep last night. Now, we left off talking about your wounds, how many do you have? And how serious are they?"

Harley couldn't help but feel a little sad for the guy, the bags under his eyes could carry groceries, "Me? It looks like you're the one that needs a rest"

Rock smiled, "Oh, you have no idea… but this isn't about me. Wounds, now"

Harley decided to show him a bruise on her shoulder; the smallest injury she could get away with showing, "There, anything else?"

Rock frowned, "Yeah, the rest of the injuries"

Harley looked away, "I'm offended! You callin' me a liar?!"

Rock's face tightened, "Harley, I swear, today is not the day to mess with me. So, I'll ask one more time, are you going to just give up and show me all your wounds? Or am I going to have to strip-search you for them?"

Harley giggled playfully, "You're talking like Mr. J now, doc!"

Rock's eyes got angrier, "Do **NOT** ever, on your life, **EVER** make another comparison with me and-", Rock stopped as he looked into Harley's eyes, and saw the same thing he saw in Ivy's; pure terror, "-… I'm sorry, I lost my temper there. Please take a moment to relax"

Harley was still shaking as she watched him sit down in the corner, as he calmly ran his hand over his long-sleeved shirt, and she recognized the way he stroked his arm wistfully, "Your arm okay?"

Rock lifted his head for a moment, his face struck with surprise, "N-Nothing… just… old scars…"

Harley pulled his sleeve down while he was off-guard, finding an insane amount of healed cuts and stab wounds, "Whoa, that's a lotta-"

Rock pulled his arm back, his awareness restored, and he pulled his sleeve back up quickly, "You… weren't supposed to see that"

"How'd ya get all those? They look… self-inflicted"

Rock looked at her, "They aren't"

Harley crossed her arms, "I'm a psychologist, too. I recognize a self-inflicted wound when I see one"

Rock looked away, his guilt beginning to overwhelm his rational thoughts, "… You're right", he knew he shouldn't tell her, "I did these to myself. But that doesn't matter"

"Sure it does, they look fresh. I'd bet there are even more on your other arm, am I right?"

Rock held onto his left arm, "Please stop, this isn't something we need to discuss"

"C'mon doc, if you feel real bad, just tell me about it! I listen to Mr.J's problems all the time!", her child-like smile was naïve, but genuine, she really wanted to know what was bothering me.

Rock paused for a moment, then shook his head, "You're my patient, you aren't supposed to carry my burdens for me"

"No, but is there anything wrong with lightening the load a little? Talk to me, I'm a good listener"

He paused for another long moment, then took off his shades, revealing his eyes to Harley, "These marks on my arms… I did them, but they aren't my fault. I don't want to die…", Rock was shocked by his words, not only did they violate every rule a therapist was supposed to follow, but he never would have told them to anyone, ever.

"I believe ya'. Dying is just saying that you give up, a strong, smart guy like you? I can't-"

"No! I'm not!", Rock felt his nerve breaking, "I'm not strong! I'm not smart!", Rock ripped her bed off the wall and tossed it against the door, breaking it in half, "I'm sick of everyone thinking that! I'm not invincible! I never was, and I never will be!"

Harley took a second to breath, "And being invincible would solve everything?"

Rock sighed and let his sweat roll off his brow, "No… it would make things worse"

"So… what is it you want?"

Rock placed his hand on the door handle, "I'm sorry for wasting your time, I'll get you a new bed by-"

Harley put her hand on his, stopping him from turning it, without using force. Her touch just paralyzed him, and he couldn't stop himself from speaking, "I want… to be free. I've been under its control for so long…"

Harley's expression softened, "What's been controlling you?"

"… The… no, I can't tell you that", Rock turned the handle on the cell door, opening it to leave, when a little five year old girl with long, blonde hair and blue eyes hugged him playfully.

Her voice was cheerful and upbeat, not to mention super excited, "Daddy! Daddy! I missed you, Daddy!"

Rock looked a little surprised, but he kept a gentle smile on his face, "Hey, angel, I missed you, too", he slumped over and hugged her back, his pain becoming visibly less intense as he did, "Is it okay if we go to Daddy's office? Ms. Harley here is a little tired, and she needs to get some sleep"

The little girl with pigtails looked to see Harley, who had dolled up for her escape, but had no makeup on, seeing as it had all been confiscated. She gave her a good looking-over before pointing at her and shouting, "You must be Mommy!"

Harley was shocked, "What?"

Rock looked a little shaken as Tim poked his head through the cell door, "Sorry, Rock, she just slipped away from me and-"

Rock patted him on the shoulder, and Harley was almost certain she heard Tim's shoulder get dislocated, "That's alright, Tim. You're not Batman, things happen. Lucy, can you go with Mr. Tim back to my office and wait for me there? I promise, I'll just be a minute"

Lucy nodded and skipped out the door, turning to wave at them, "Bye, Daddy! Bye, Mommy!"

As the door closed, Rock's anger became apparent on his face, "When I see him, I am going to kill him, slowly…"

Harley was surprised, "Who?"

"BATMAN! That bastard! I told him that he didn't need to do a search on my background! I'm going to wring his neck and hang him with his cape"

"Wait, wait, wait, please don't tell me that you're seriously saying-"

Rock sighed and scratched the back of his head, "Technically… yes, you are Lucy's biological mother. I can understand that you would think this is extremely strange, since you've… never met Lucy, but she was born using your cells, so, strictly speaking, yes, you qualify as her mother. You don't need to try to-"

Harley squealed with delight, "Oh, my god! I have a daughter! I'm so excited! We can talk about boys, and I can brush her hair, I'm so excited!"

Rock put his hands on her shoulders, "No. I understand that you have the best of intentions, but no, you are not a part of her life yet. You don't get to just barge in"

"Why not? I'm her mother"

"I don't care! Listen… I get it, really, I think it would be great for Lucy to have a mother, but I can't leave it to you"

"Cause I'm crazy?"

"I wouldn't leave Lucy in the hands of God"

"Those are some pretty big hands"

"It has nothing to do with you, just forget about it, alright?"

"But… you're treating me, knowing that I'm the mother of your daughter? Isn't that a conflict of interests?"

"How could it? You're just a patient who happens to be the same person that had a few cells used to create life, using my cells as well. I have no reason to view you in any light that would render me anything more to you than a stranger"

"You can hate people you don't know"

"Then you tell me, from our interactions, have I shown any behavioral patterns that you would consider prejudice, or hateful?"

"Can I at least talk to her?"

Rock sighed, "… I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm convinced that I am insane"

A few minutes later, Rock walked back in, with Lucy bouncing behind him, "Hi, Mommy!"

Rock sighed, "Lucy… that's not her name"

"Oh, sorry, Ms. Harley!"

Harley waved it off, "That's okay! Just call me Harley, everybody does!", in the few moments she had, Harley washed her hair, making it shiny and clean.

Lucy looked at her again, "Ms. Harley, are you an angel, like Daddy?"

Harley tilted her head, "An angel?"

Lucy smiled and nodded, "Yeah, you have marks like Daddy does on your body, from when you hurt a lot. Daddy said that angels have a lot of them because they feel pain and other people's pain more, so they want to go back to Heaven. He also said that angels can get them from doing the right thing, even though it hurts"

Harley felt ready to cry, having heard such an innocent proclamation from such a sweet face, "Well…"

Lucy looked around, then whispered, "It's okay, I won't tell anyone. Daddy says I'm an angel, too! And he also said that I'm a really strong one, because I don't have any marks like that!"

Rock smiled at her, "Lucy, Ms. Harley's a really special angel, she's been trying to make sure that someone she knows doesn't get hurt"

"Really?! You're so cool, Harley!"

Harley smiled, "Thanks, Lucy! That's really nice of you to say!"

Lucy smiled, "It's true! You're kind of like Ms. Isley or Mr. Nygma!"

"Red? Eddie?"

"Yeah! Ms. Isley makes sure that the pretty flowers grow nice and big, and keeps then safe from bad people who would try to crush them! And Mr. Nygma makes fun riddles, enough to keep people happy! Even when they feel sad, they can watch his show and feel better!"

Harley looked at Rock, her expression revealing just how surprising these words were to her. Rock just smiled, "That's right, Lucy. Oh, isn't there something you wanted to give to Ms. Harley, before we go?"

Lucy reached into her pocket and pulled out a CD, "Daddy told me that you like a band called _**KISS**_, so I got this CD to listen to!", she handed Harley a 'KISS's greatest hits CD, "I listened to it, I really liked the guitar solos"

Harley looked at the small disc, it was the first time she'd seen one in God knows how long. When was the last time she listened to music, just to enjoy it? It had at least been months, if not years. She couldn't turn it down, not that cute face, and especially not if it was the classics, "Thank you, Lucy! That's really nice of you!"

Lucy skipped out happily as Rock stuck behind, "I didn't know you liked the classics"

Harley saw right through him, "You're lying! I bet you got this gift for me, didn't you?!"

Rock held his hands up, "No way, that was 100% Lucy"

Harley pouted, "But you got something else for me, didn't you?"

Rock looked away, "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't"

Harley smiled, "You totally did! What is it? What is it?"

Rock didn't look at her as he held out a large box, "Here, take it"

Harley tore the box open and found a stunning dress inside, "Wow! This looks even better than that time we held up that fashion show that came in from Milan!"

"Consider it a 'thank you' gift"

Harley marveled at the dress, "What did I do to get this?!"

Rock stopped from closing the door, just long enough to say, "For being alive long enough for the cell sample to be collected so that Lucy could be born. From the bottom of my heart, thank you"

Harley watched him as he walked out, pondering the mysteries that he had just presented her with. Even though she was thinking them over using the rational, psychologist part of her brain, she knew it would take a while to figure all of it out… if she ever was going to figure it all out, that was.

* * *

Freeze thought he was out of his mind, if it was because of the fact he was smiling or the fact he was holding an ice-cream cone, he couldn't tell. But he handed Lucy the cone all the same, "Here, this should be just the right temperature, not too cold, just cold enough to be delicious and stay frozen"

Lucy stared at it in amazement, "Thank you, Mr. Victor! This is really cool!"

Suddenly, Freeze realized he wasn't crazy, with a smile like that, this kid could melt any heart, even his. Her father sitting behind her, making sure she was safe and happy was also a contributing factor. Rock stood up, "Victor, I just made a breakthrough! Stage two now officially has a cure!"

Freeze looked at the computer screen, "Well done, Dr. Rock! This is an amazing discovery! At this rate, we'll have the cure in no time!"

Lucy jumped up and down, "Yay! Good job, Daddy! Now Mr. Victor's wife will get better sooner!"

Rock smiled, "That's right, angel, how's your ice-cream?"

She smiled, "Mr. Victor is really cool! This ice cream isn't even giving me a brain freeze!"

"Now, what do you tell Mr. Victor?"

"Thank you, Mr. Victor!"

Freeze smiled, "You are very welcome, Lucy. Dr. Rock, could I speak with you for a moment?"

Rock pulled Freeze aside, "What is it, Victor?"

"If I may ask, she is five and you are twenty-one. How exactly-"

"She was born using my cells and that of her mother. I had no say in it, neither did her mother. However", he pulled Freeze in tight, "If you harm a single hair on her head, your body will be found in a pile of kerosene that had been heated for several days, after which it was lit on fire, all the while, you were being drowned in it"

Freeze could see that he was 100% serious, "I will keep that in mind… so, who is her mother?"

"Do you really need that information?"

"The fact you are hiding it only makes me even more curious as to her identity"

"I have no reason to tell you"

Freeze turned to look at Lucy, "Lucy, who is your mother?"

Lucy smiled wide, "My Mommy's Ms. Harley! She's really pretty, and I like her doggies!"

Freeze felt it click, "Ms. Harley? By any chance, are you talking about Ms. Harley Quinn?"

"Yeah! But Daddy said it's not nice to use nicknames! So please call her Ms. Harley!"

Rock stepped in, "Lucy, I think that Mr. Victor and I are done working for today, so why don't you go grab your things and we'll be on our way"

Lucy smiled, "Okay, Daddy!"

Rock glared at Freeze, "If you want my cooperation, stay out of my personal business"

Freeze stroked his chin, "I'm sorry, I was out of line there. My curiosity got the best of me, but I must ask, does this factor have anything to do with the reason you've come to Arkham?"

Rock looked Victor with a deadly gaze, "No, I'm not here because of Harleen Quinzel. I'm here because I chose to be"

"You are a mysterious man, Dr. Rock"

"I'm not all that different, I'm just a normal guy"

"You just openly admitted that your daughter was born in a test tube, most people would hesitate before making such a statement"

Rock sighed, "Whatever, today has been a long day, and besides, our time is up for today"

* * *

Rock placed the last of his paperwork aside, "That's the last of it, Lucy! We can go play now!"

Lucy jumped up and down, "Yay! Hey Daddy, can we go see a movie with Mr. Tim? He said he didn't have anything to do, and he told me he liked movies!"

Rock looked at Tim, who was shaking his head, "You know what, Lucy, that's a great idea, but wouldn't you rather watch uncle Nygma on T.V. instead?"

Lucy smiled, "Oh, yeah! Is that okay with you, Mr. Tim? Uncle Nygma has a really cool show, where he asks people funny riddles! Some are hard, but it's fun to see if you can get them right"

Tim shrugged his shoulders, "Why not?"

Rock turned the television on and flipped it to a channel that was playing the theme song for a game show. The narrator shouted over the cheers, "And now, it's time for… Riddle Me This! Here's your host with the most, Edward Nygma!"

Nygma stepped out onto the stage, dressed up in a nice suit and smiling like he was king of the world, "Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Tonight we have a boatload of brain-bogglers, just ready for our contestants! But before we begin, we'll have a caller answer one, and if our lucky 13th caller can guess correctly, they'll win… the full riddle catalog from our first few episodes, signed by yours truly!"

Lucy picked up a tiny, pink cell phone, "Daddy, I'm gonna try to call Uncle Nygma! Maybe I can win!"

Rock smiled, "Maybe, pumpkin"

She watched the screen in excitement as the tone rang. Her anticipation mounted as she saw Nygma pick up the phone, "Hello, lucky caller number 13! Could you tell us what your name is?"

Lucy was excited, "Uncle Nygma, it's me, Lucy! You look really cool in your suit!"

Nygma, not missing a beat, smiled, "Lucy, dear! I never though you would be our caller! Would you like to try one of Uncle Nygma's riddles?"

"Yeah! Yeah! You always make the best riddles, Uncle Nygma!"

"Okay, Lucy, here goes: A moment of light, to awaken the mind, and days spent in darkness, for someone to find. I speak, but am not heard, and set man apart from other animals of the world. Great power, I hold, yet even new, many refer to me as old. What am I?"

Lucy jumped up and down, "Oh, I know, you're a book! Books are read in the light, then put on shelves! They're writing, and other animals can't write! Knowledge is power, so books have power, but they're old-fashioned!"

"That is… correct! Good job Lucy! I'll make sure that book gets sent to you"

"Yay! A whole book of Uncle Nygma's riddles! You're the best!"

Nygma smiled, "It's been really fun talking with you, Lucy, but now I have to start the show!"

"Okay, bye Uncle Nygma!"

Lucy hung up the phone and they all watched the show together, Tim was impressed to see that Nygma was like a normal game show host: a charismatic, cheesy character with plenty of fun challenges. By the end of the episode, most of the contestants had lost all the money they won, except for one guy, who had been lucky and won himself about a thousand dollars.

Tim hadn't been paying much attention, as Lucy had been guessing all the right answers before he could even think about what it was. He thought it was strange, the way she was outsmarting everyone that was trying left and right, as if it were nothing more than a simple game to her. At the end of the show Rock patted her head proudly, "Way to go, Lucy! You got them all right!"

Lucy smiled, "How long did it take you to figure them out, Daddy?"

Rock smiled, "Just a little before you did, sweetie, you're getting really good at this"

Tim felt bad, to interrupt this precious moment, but he looked at his phone and then showed it to Rock, "You need to see this"

Rock looked at the phone, it was Tim's emergency Bat-phone, with the phrase 'ROCK, CAVE, NOW' flashing across it repeatedly. He stood up, "Hey, Lucy, you remember how I told you about that really tough guy, the one that beats up bad guys to protect people?"

Lucy nodded, "Batman? I still think that he's really silly. Beating people up doesn't change anything, it just makes the bad guys mad"

Rock smiled, "Yeah, he is kinda silly, would you like to meet him? Or do you just wanna watch T.V. at the house?"

Lucy thought about it, "Hm… let's go see Batman! I wanna ask him why he doesn't even beat bad guys up during the day!"

Tim was in shock as Rock just laughed it off, "Okay, then, let's go see Batman"

* * *

Twice, that was twice in one week that Alfred had been having a good time as Bruce watched on. Rock tried to steady Bruce's focus as he continued their conversation, "Bruce! You alright? You keep staring at Lucy"

Bruce shook his head, "Why did you bring a little girl to the Batcave?"

"She's my daughter, she wanted to see Batman. What? She won't tell anyone"

"You've brought your insanity to new levels"

"Hey, you called me here, I didn't have a choice, so what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Not me, him", Bruce motioned to Nightwing, who had his arms crossed as he leaned against a wall, "He wants to talk to you about something"

Rock became suspicious, "What is it? You know why I protected Ivy, what else do you want?"

Nightwing's face was dark and expressionless, "Nicholas…"

Rock felt a tingle go up his spine, "What?"

"Your name… is it Nicholas?"

"You already know my name"

"Don't avoid the question. Are you, or are you not, Nicholas?"

"No, my name is Sate Rock, and I've never been Nicholas"

"Never?"

"Your pushing a question I already answered"

"That's because I don't believe you, and neither does she", Nightwing moved away from the wall, revealing a figure in a purple hood.

Rock's gaze widened, "It's you…", his breath faltered, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

The figure pulled back her hood, to reveal her beautiful purple eyes and pale, grey skin, "Nicholas… it's me, Raven"


	2. Losses of Innocence and Guilt

Rock took a step back, there was no denying it, Raven was really standing in front of him. His mind went blank, anger, happiness, fear, love, all of these things overwhelmed his brain as he felt a tear run down the side of his face, "Raven…"

Raven didn't normally run, but she closed the distance between them in an instant, embracing him and wrapping her arms around him, tears of her own falling, "Nicholas… it's really you!"

Raven could feel the way he was trembling as he hugged her back, trying to get a grip on his mind, "I… missed you, too, Raven"

Nightwing smiled behind her, "When I put out feelers for information, Raven saw your picture and insisted that she meet with you at once. We used to work together as part of a team, so I knew I could trust her"

Raven pulled herself away, feeling his arms, "Nicholas… these marks…"

Rock smiled gently, "Ones I bare with pride. I've been keeping my promise, too"

She couldn't help but return his smile, "I never doubted you"

Rock looked away, "Raven… I've changed a lot since the last time you saw me. I still believe, with all my heart, everything I said to you. But… I can't do that… not yet. There's something else I have to do first"

Raven's expression softened, "What's that?"

"Attonement… for what I did… then, it'll be alright, I know it will"

Raven took his hand and entwined it within her own, "Nicholas, you've done enough, the only person that you need forgiveness from is yourself"

Rock sighed, he knew she was right, deep down, he could see that she was speaking the truth, "… You're right. You deserve better, come on, let's go home. Lucy?"

The little girl skipped over to them, taking a good look at Raven, "Yeah, Daddy?"

"This is Raven, she's gonna live with us, okay?"

Lucy smiled, "Okay, Daddy! Hey, Ms. Raven, your eyes look very pretty"

Raven smiled, "Thanks, your hair is very pretty, too"

Rock smiled, "Hey, Lucy? Why don't you take Raven to our home while I talk with Bruce and Dick?"

Lucy smiled, "Okay, Daddy! C'mon, Ms. Raven! This way!", Lucy dragged Raven off as Rock laid his eyes on Nightwing.

Dick just smiled, "I've never seen Raven cry like that"

Rock frowned, "You expect me to explain everything to you, don't you? I can't imagine Raven told you everything"

"As her former partner, I respect her decision not to tell me. You, however, have little more to your name than a file that was completely blacked out and labelled 'ARCHANGEL'. So everything? No. But a small explanation would be very helpful"

Rock sighed, "Then sit down, I'll tell you… some of it"

Tim, Dick, and Bruce gathered around a table while Rock sat uncomfortably at the head of it, "Start with project archangel"

"Twenty-one years ago, a group of scientists were hellbent on pushing the capabilities of humans. They decided to go with a simple approach; enhance every aspect of a subject's DNA, and see what happens. There were two original subjects, Marie and Gabriel, nicknamed after biblical angels for effect. But something happened after Marie and Gabrial had been born, the left over cells from their parents that had been desposed of decided not to simply die off, as they were expected to.

No, those cells, in the harsh environment of a chemical disposal, created another life, one that bonded within the confides of the most extreme conditions. The adaptability of those cells to chemical reactions was miraculous, and the cells themselves became able to arrange molecules to create bonds and reactions that never could've been possible before. This child clawed his way out of the disposal, and emerged from it, with a mind and body unlike any other. It was a gift to the project that had been delivered, as if from God.

To this third child, they gave the name… Nicholas, like the saint. Although Marie and Gabriel turned out to be the prime examples of human capabilities, Nicholas was the exception. Gabriel could build muscles strong enough to flip cars without breaking a sweat, Marie could do it without compromising her amazing figure. But Nicholas… he could throw the car with one hand, and stop it with his mind before it hit the ground.

Nicholas was also a very trouble individual, he had spent nearly a year in the disposal before anyone even realized he was there. He saw how everyone looked at him: he was merely a freak accident, a subject to be tested, until he could be recreated and disposed of again. Deep down, he hated the project, and wanted nothing more than to burn the entire facility to the ground. But Nicholas wouldn't do it, he told himself that he had to do the right thing, even if it sucked.

He figured that death was unavoidable, so why bother? He would live out his life and be their test subject, it wasn't like he had better things to do. Eventually, he was able to get a trip outside of the facility, just a field trip to a frozen fish market, to see if he had enough control over his chemical reactions to keep himself alive in the brutal cold. He was doing wonderfully, his body temperature was at a normal level.

Then… he stumbled on something that changed his life. It was girl with dark hair, half-buried in the snow. He dug her out and took her back to the facility, saving her life. She had no home, no family, and nowhere to go, so, Nicholas convinced the project leaders to let her stay. He fell in love with her, and she returned his feelings, but that was where it all fell apart.

You see, she was a demon, and she was afraid he would hate her if he knew, so she hid it from him. He found out on his own, and he told her that he didn't care, that he would still love her, no matter what. It was beautiful, until she lost control and her powers ran rampant. She was capable of destroying the world, so Gabriel and Marie prepared to destroy her with their bare hands.

Nicholas stopped them, he was so desperate that he took Gabriel down, and he made sure Gabriel wouldn't get back up… ever. Marie was left to mourn Gabriel as Nicholas went to stop his lover. Nicholas then ripped her heart out, replacing it with his own, and taking her demonic one as his. It worked, his lover had been able to take back control, in fact, she was now in even better control then before.

But at what price? Nicholas alone felt the answer as his blood became tainted, lighting up all of his pain receptors at once, and expanding his capabilities to beyond human thought. With the small amount of willpower left in his body, Nicholas opened a portal that he pushed his lover through. He promised that he would live until the day he could see her again, and he would become the angel he was born to be.

Afterward, Nicholas didn't talk, he performed his tests, exceeded all expectations, then simply acted silently. Even Marie could pry nothing more than a plastered smile from his stone lips. His biological father went to check on him, when Nicholas thought he was alone, and found that Nicholas was bleeding himself dry over a balcony.

Nicholas was trying to relieve the pain by removing as much of his blood as possible. Miraculously, not only did Nicholas's father keep it a secret, he helped Nicholas train his mind to perform the functions of his heart, through his psychic ability. It was a… peaceful existance… until Nicholas found out about a new test subject.

This little girl, that was made from his DNA, Lucy. He wouldn't let someone else be forced to live a life like he had. So, he escaped the facility, with Lucy, some supplies,a some passports that had been made for him, and a jet he'd commandeered. And that's the story, or most of it, anyway"

Dick scratched his chin, "So that's why Raven appeared in Jump City out of nowhere"

"It wasn't intentional, I just needed her to have a new start, and she needed to be far away, at least far enough to escape the reach of the people behind the project"

Tim held his hand up, "If you don't mind my asking, who are your parents? Biologically"

"My father's name... I can't remember, my mother was Cathrine the Great"

"Like… the queen of Russia in the 1700's?!"

"The same. Her cells, and that of many other great rulers, we're used in the cesspool, I solely inherited her genes. Appearantly, all three of us had the same biological father, but I had a different mother than my syblings"

Bruce watched the computer screen, ignoring the conversation. Rock looked over at him, "Hey, Bruce, have I been open enough? Please, let me know if there's anything I can share with you that I haven't, because I'm just dying to tell you about the rest of my wonderful childhood"

Bruce continued to type, "You were hiding something from me, I had reason to be suspicious of you"

"What about after I told you that it didn't matter? Was I lying then? Or does my merry tale relate to a present day criminal? Perhaps the Riddler wants to ask you what crawled out of hell. Oh wait, that's right, he doesn't care about Batman anymore, I wonder who could've done that?", Rock stood up, making his building fury apparent, "What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not an evil spy, sent to sabotage you?!"

Bruce didn't look away from the computer, his concentration making him look more like a statue than a human.

Rock shook his head, "Goodnight, Alfred", with that, he stormed off.

Bruce didn't turn around until he was sure that Rock had left, "Dick, do you remember Ra's al Ghual?"

Dick scoffed, "How could I forget?"

"The alert I placed for his transportation is going off. Ra's al Ghual is coming to Gotham"

* * *

Rock smiled as he looked across the table, Lucy had already gone to bed, so it was just him and Raven. Raven smiled back at him, "So, this is where you've been living?"

"Since last week. I moved here to become a therapist at Arkham"

"Arkham? Dick used to talk about that place like it was the den of all evil"

"It's just a mental institution for high-profile, criminal patients"

Raven laughed, "That's just like you, dismissing the danger"

Rock laughed, she was right, "Well, life is always dangerous. What about you? What have you been up to for the past five years?"

Raven's smile faded a little, "I joined a group of people that wanted to protect Jump City, and we called ourselves the 'Teen Titans'. Recently, we melded with the Justice League, but when Dick started looking for a file on you with your picture, I recognized you"

"So, you became a super hero"

Raven scoffed, "Yeah, I guess I did"

Rock smiled, "Ten bucks says you were the strongest part of the team"

"You'd be wasting ten bucks"

"I highly doubt that"

"No. I had my magic, but if it wasn't for Dick… there were so many times that he pulled us through, we were nothing without him"

"He was the team leader, wasn't he?"

"Yes"

"With his personality, I bet he was a laid-back leader, but his obsession with criminals ran deep"

"Mostly one; Slade Wilson"

"… Enough about the past. There's something I wanted to show you", Rock got up and pulled a book down from his shelf. He placed the black leather book on the table, "Just a normal bible, right?"

Raven observed it, but didn't touch it, "Knowing you, it probably isn't"

He placed his finger on the center, "The Lord is my shepard, let him lead his lamb through the slaughterhouse unharmed", as soon as he finished speaking, the cover of the book transformed into a book of solid gold, a sharp cross emblazed on the front.

Raven marveled at it, "What is it?"

"A paladin's bible, with all the spells for healing and holy aura you could ever ask for"

"Holy aura?"

"With this, and just a few words, we could make your powers even easier to control"

"Where did you get this?"

"My biological father gave me this, he told me to use it in case you tried to hurt me. But if we do this correctly, then you'll never have to worry about your father effecting you ever again"

Raven's eyes went wide, "Nicholas…" , she hugged him, "Thank you…"

Rock hugged her, "Don't mention it, I owe you a lot"

Raven was pulling herself away when she touched his arm, then rolled up his sleeve, "Nick, what are these?"

Instictively, he wanted to pull back, but Rock let Raven hold his arm, "… Sometimes, my mind just can't take up the duties of my heart. When I can't keep it going anymore…my heart starts beating"

Raven put her hand on his chest, "Nick… you lived with this?"

"For five years. But that doesn't bother me, I can take pain"

"Nick, this isn't okay"

"Yes it is", he grabbed her hand and pulled her in, "Because you make my heart stop", with a kiss, he ended their conversation and moved on to other activities.

* * *

Talia hesitated to open the door, her killer instincts being overloaded by her guilt. She shook it off and slowly opened the door finding Rock waiting in the doorway, "What are you doing here?"

Talia was surprised, but she kept her weapons holstered, "My father needs you. Without something to keep him stable, the Lazurus pit will consume him"

Rock looked back, to make sure Raven was still asleep, "Fine, but he'll have to wait until later today, after I get off from work"

"Work? You have a job?"

"I'm a therapist at Arkham, and before you start making comments, just remember, I've already made progress with multiple patients"

"You're blocking the doorway like you don't want me to come in"

"That's because I don't"

"No, this is like when you first started cutting yourself, what's inside?"

Rock used his arm to block her view, "Tell Ra's that he can expect my help, but I don't need his, nor do I want it"

"Nicholas… I wish you a good day at work"

He closed the door slowly, "A good day to you, too"

Once the door fully closed, Raven lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, "Who was that?"

Rock returned to the stove, where he finished fixing some eggs, "Talia, she came to tell me that her father needs to see me"

"Are you going to see him?"

"I can't ignore him, so I might as well. But I can't until after I get off from work today"

"That's right, Dick told me you got a job at Arkham, that must be interesting"

"It's not boring. Actually, you might be able to help me today, if you don't mind"

"What is it?"

"As much as I want to, I can't watch Lucy while I'm in session with my patients, and Tim can't keep up with her, so I need someone to watch her, think you can handle it?"

"Sure, I've watched kids before, even if they were super-powered ones"

"Oh, speaking of powers, you shouldn't walk into Arkham dressed like that, it'll put a target on your back", Rock speculated as she started to put her robe back on.

"Then what should I wear?"

"I've got some clothes you could wear in the back of the closet. They're some clothes I bought for a friend to use while she was on the run, don't worry, they've been washed since then"

Raven examined the red shirt with a black anarchy symbol on it, "Your friend a runaway?"

"Nope, I just bought her that shirt because I knew that she would like it and hate it at the same time"

"Why'd she hate it?"

"She's definitely a rebel, but red isn't a color she wears often"

"I see. Well, while the clothes are nice and all, I still look like a grey demon-spawn"

"If we're talking about your figure-", Raven playfully punched his shoulder, "-I was gonna say it's very seductive!"

She punched him again, "I know!"

They laughed it off as Rock grabbed a small vile of a clear liquid off of the table, "Here, it's just like what we used to sneak you into the facility, except it last longer and has no side effects"

Raven examined the liquid, "Does it still taste bad?"

"Can't get rid of everything you hate. Sorry, but at least I made breakfast to get the taste out of your mouth"

Raven looked at her cup of tea and took a small sip, "You still make good tea"

Rock smiled as he set her plate of eggs down, "C'mon, eat up, I've got a half hour to get ready for work and an hour to get to Arkham"

Raven shuddered as she swollowed the clear liquid, the taste made raw eggs taste like the food of god, and it was so cold she swore it nearly froze in her throat, but she managed to keep it down.

Lucy walked in, rubbing her little eyes sleepily as she saw Raven, "Good morning, Ms. Raven, I really like your hair that color"

Raven grabbed a mirror, she knew what she looked like, but she wanted to see anyway. Just as she thought; beautiful, peach-colored skin, and pink hair.

* * *

Harley held her chin as she looked at Rock, "Hm… you look a lot better than you did yesterday"

Rock smiled, "Life's been better to me recently, what about you, Harley? How's life been to you?"

"Not bad, last night, I was dreaming about Mr. J and me, it was great"

"Really? Tell me about it"

"Oh, me and Mr. J had just blown up half of Gotham, and he proposed by opening a box with the ring in it. I pushed my finger into the ring and it pressed a button that blew Batman into a million pieces…", she wiped a tear from her eye, "It was beautiful"

"Here", he handed her a tissue and she blew her nose, "So, you slept well?"

"Like a rock"

Rock looked at the chaotically graffitied walls, "Harley, do you like to paint?"

Harley thought about it, "A little, but I ain't much good at it"

"Okay, well, this is a part of your treatment, so I got the okay to get you some paint and brushes", he a box of art supplies on the floor and pulled out an easel, "Today, whenever you feel like it, I want you to paint whatever you want on the canvas, okay?"

Harley looked at the paint, "Whatever I want?"

"Yeah, anything you want, I promise that nobody but you and me will see it"

Harley looked at her paintbrush, "Okay, doc, I think I can do that"

"Oh, and Harley?"

"What's up, doc?"

"I'm sorry for what I did before, that was a horrible thing for me to do. I appreciate that you let me bandage you up today"

"So, I can meet my daughter?"

Rock paused, and he let the thought roll around his head, "I'll bring her by sometimes, if, and that's a big IF, you can keep the conversations away from Mr. J and things the two of you did"

"Really?!"

"You're trying very hard to work with me, she is your daughter, too. She's going to have to learn more about her mother one way or another, so this might be the best way"

Harley squeeled with delight, "Eeeee! Yay!"

"And remember, I'll be watching the entire time"

"Alright! Yes, yes, yes!", Harley smiled as she did a little dance.

* * *

Tim took another look at Raven, "You're Raven?"

Raven frowned, "Yes, this is a disguise that allows me to help you watch Lucy, is there a problem?"

Tim shook his head, "No, I just… had a different image of you in my head from Dick describing you"

Raven ignored him and sat down on the couch, it was more comfortable than she expected. Lucy swung her feet over the edge as she sat next to Raven, "Ms. Raven, do you like to read?"

Raven nodded, "Yes, I love reading"

Lucy grabbed a book off her father's desk, "Here! Daddy reads this book every day, so it must be good!"

Raven opened the book to the bookmarked page to find 'The Raven' by Edgar Allen Poe, with several words scribbled down the side. The scribbles turned out to be another poem, written by hand in the book, one that depicted the raven as a free, beautiful guardian of the night. Once she finished it, she placed it on Rock's desk, "You're right, Lucy, it is a really good book"

The moment was broken as alarms went off, and sirens broke out all around them. Tim rushed to the door, "Wait here!"

As he slammed it shut and took off, Raven took Lucy's hand, "Don't worry Lucy, I'll keep you safe"

Lucy smiled, "It's okay, I'm not scared"

Raven took a look down the hall, it was clear for now, but she knew all too well that the inmates of Arkham were determined to escape, and they didn't care who they killed to get out. She began to silently chant her spells, "Azarath metrione…"

Lucy tugged on her shirt, "You should stay away from the door, daddy says that it's safer"

Raven smiled, "Of course, here"

The two girls hid behind the couch as the sirens continued to blare. They had been hiding for five minutes when they heard the door get hit off of it's hinges. Raven took a quick look to see a large pile of mud and clay roaring. She focused her dark powers on his body, "Azarath metrione zinthos!"

As she shouted, the dark aura enveloped the monster, but it simply leaked through the holes in her barrier, and started roaring again. Raven cursed silently, "Lucy, c'mon, we need to go, now!"

Raven grabbed Lucy's arm, but she refused to budge, "No! Daddy said to wait here!"

Raven picked her up, "We don't-" her words were silenced as her vision went dark. For a few moments, she couldn't see anything, and she felt like she was standing on a single pillar, like a step in any direction would be her death. Once the moment passed, she could see the room, just as it had been, like the lights had gone off.

The only difference was that the large monster was nowhere to be seen, and the door was perfectly intact, where it should be. Raven was trying to take in all of this information when Rock walked in through the door, "How are you two doing in here?"

Lucy smiled, "We're good, daddy!"

"Raven, you alright? You look a little dazed"

She looked at the door, "The alarms were going off just now, weren't they?"

"Yeah, there was an attempted escape and a riot, but that's all taken care of"

"That flash, that was you?"

Rock smiled, "I can't leave you or my little angel there to Clayface, now can I?"

Lucy did a little pouting face, "I would've used Mr. Victors gadgets to freeze him"

"That's smart thinking, Lucy", he held up a small marble, "Maybe next time"

Raven looked at the marble, the inside of it wasn't clear, in fact, it looked lithe the face of a screaming monster, that was desperately trying to crawl out of Hell. She let the thought sit, in a moment's blackout, he had forced all of Arkham into submission. She needed a little more information, "Who tried to escape?"

"The Joker. He had Clayface start the riot as a diversion, so both of them are facing their punishments. Clayface is in solitary confinement, and as for the Joker, well, he and I are going to have a little chat"

With that, Rock turned to leave, while Raven tried to figure out just how powerful he really was.

* * *

The Joker was beaten fairly bad, many of his bones were fractured, his blood stained his purple suit in many places. Even when he had fought Batman, the vigilante had held back, defeating him, but leaving him intact. This opponent wasn't as kind, he had forced as much pain as possible in his body, making sure he was damaged, but not enough that he would be permanently so.

As his cell door opened, he could do little more than wince, as his attacker grinned, "You're awake, you must have a good tolerance for pain"

His voice was weak, but he spoke the best he could, "If you're in the comedy business, you learn the hard way that sometimes you take critical hits from people who just don't get the joke"

"Smile like yours, I can't imagine people not thinking you're funny-looking"

"Laugh all you want, chicks love a guy that can smile, even on his worst days"

"You're a real lady-killer, Jack"

The Joker looked up, "What did you just call me?"

"Jack. That's your name, isn't it? Before you became who you are now?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"Jack, Jack, Jack… you were a sad, normal man, your job, your wife, all the abuse you took from everything every day. There wasn't a place on this Earth you had any form of release, until one day, you had the accident, and even though you had been so good to all those people, they turned their backs on you, like you were a monster. That was when you decided, that your life was nobody else's, and that you would live as you pleased, the consequences be damned"

"This is a good trick, so what am I thinking?"

"That there's no way in Hell I'd know this next part, that you respect someone other than Batman. You treat them like crap and drag their heart through the dirt, but only because you're impressed by the fact that they still have the strength to shake it off and come back for more. She loves you because you did what she thinks she never could, but you hate her, because no matter how hard you bend her, she'll never brake"

"Ha ha ha ha! That's funny!"

"You hate Harley, because she's stronger than you. She was a psychologist who hated boring patients, so she turned to the worst of the worst. She purposely threw her career, and her life, right into the fire, where you saw her as her weakest. You gave her the same freedom you craved as Jack, and let her be Harley Quinn, but she wouldn't kill. Not the way you would"

"Why don't we ask Harley who's stronger?"

"She'd lie, of her own free will, she denies her strength so that you'll see her as your little Harley. You know that she's stronger, and that's why you can't love her, she's just better than you. She can even transition from being insane to having a sound mind, just because the mood demands it"

"Listen, I'm fairly sure that I can beat Harley"

"Then let's bet on it"

"What would the stakes be?"

"If Harley wins, I get five minutes to reform you, a special treatment that I need you to sign off on"

"And if I win?"

"I'll give you a free-sign off. You'll be legally sane, able to walk out of here and into broad daylight with a smile, not even Batman could touch you until you decided to commit a crime"

He thought it over, "A free pass to torment the bat with my freedom, right in front of his face, and he can't even touch me? Get Harley in here"

Rock let a demonic smile grow over his lips, "With pleasure, Jack, just remember, you asked for this"

Joker was concerned slightly that Harley would have a hard time faking it well, since his body was beaten so badly, but as he stood up, he felt good as new, as if his injuries had never occurred.

Rock looked into the cell from the hallway, then he whispered into Harley's ear. Joker couldn't hear what was said, but she squealed with delight from the other side of the door. As it swung open, he caught a glimpse of Rock's face, and now, more so than before, it was twisted into an unholy and frightening smile.

But as soon as the cell door closed, he focused his attention back on Harley, and started whispering to her, "Harley, I need you to lose this fight"

Her face turned into a frown, "But, puddin', if I lose, Bud and Lou will be taken away"

"I'll get you new dogs!"

"Red'll have her plants burned down"

"She can grow new ones, she always does"

"Puddin'… he said I'd be put in a special program, where nobody could find me, and I'd never get out"

"Harley, would I leave you all alone?"

Joker was unaware of it, but Harley had been given a special gift, one she didn't ask for and she didn't want. It was an earring Rock had placed on her while she was squealing in the hallway, they were charmed, so that the wearer could hear the thoughts from anyone who spoke, "Puddin'… you don't mean that, do ya?"

"Mean what?"

"That you would abandon me, just to rub your freedom in the Bat's face?"

"I never said that!"

Harley's tears began to fall as his thoughts continued to enter her mind, "Take it back! Say you're kidding! This is a joke, right?! You hate the Bat, I'm the one you care about, right?!"

The Joker felt his nerve crack, but he kept up a big smile, "Of course I hate the Bat, you're the only one for me, pooh!"

Harley closed her eyes and took off her earring, throwing it against the ground, "Liar! You damned piece of crap! You hate me… because of who I am. I love you… but you can't love me… because I wouldn't kill you"

Joker held her arms, "Harley, he's filling your head with lies, don't let him get to you"

Harley looked up at him, her tears starting to dry, "Okay then, prove it to me. Lose this fight, and then we can get married, just like he said we could, if I won"

Joker felt a deep hatred growing in the back of his mind towards Rock. He still didn't believe any of this magic mumbo-jumbo, but this guy had successfully lured him into a trap that, in all honesty, the Joker should've expected, "Okay, Harley, you'll charge at me, then, when I saw now, you'll knock me off my feet, and you'll win, alright?"

Harley smiled, "Okay, Mr. J!"

The Joker stood up, pretending like he was ready to swing at her when she ran at him, and took a swing at his face. Her gentle swing was avoided and she was met with a sharp pain in her back. As she fell to the ground, Harley's tears pooled with her blood, and the Joker pointed his bloody finger at the door, "There, I win! Now let me out of here!"

On the other side of the glass, Rock's smile grew, until it was even bigger than the Joker's, "You haven't won... she's still alive"

The Joker groaned, "Oh, I can fix that"

He turned around to see that Harley had picked herself up, her tears having messed up her make-up and her blood stained her hair, the knife from her back now in her hand, "Oh, puddin'… you're such a tease…"

While his expression portrayed a smile, inside, he was trying not to panic. That knife was the only weapon Rock hadn't wrestled away from him, and now Harley had more than enough reason to want him dead, "Dang it, Harley! You were supposed to play dead so I could escape and break you out!"

Harley wiped a tear away, her bloody hand leaving a trail of blood to replace it, "Liar… you wanted to leave me… for dead… just like he said you would. If I wasn't wearin' this fake flesh vest, that knife would've gone all the way through to my heart"

Now he was making a checklist of things to do to that doctor when he got out, "C'mon, Harles, we don't need to do this. Just lay down and pretend to die, I'll be back as soon as I can, and then, you and me will have a night on the town, whaddya say?"

Harley frowned, her new tears washing away the make-up and blood, "No… _I'm_ gonna break out, and then I'll come back for you. I love ya a lot, puddin', so I'll fight real hard, and be your private nurse later"

The Joker saw something in her eyes, a look that made him believe that she really would kill him, "That's what I love about ya, baby"

For the first time, Harley didn't smiled as she heard the way he tried to sweet talk her, in fact, she looked even more upset, "No…"

The cell door behind him opened, and Rock walked in, his eyes full of an arrogant pride, "Sorry, Jack, but the joke's on you"

"What joke?"

"You think you're a wild dog, and unpredictable whirlwind of chaos and destruction, it's one of the things that makes you such an amazing criminal"

"And…?"

"From the moment you woke up to the words you said to Harley just now, every motion, breath, and thought she heard was predicted by me"

Joker didn't care, he took the conversation as an opening to steal the knife back and place it against Harley's open neck, "I don't care for games, at least when I'm not the game master, so this is a new game, called 'Dont make me kill Harley'! First one to make me do it loses!"

Rock pressed a button he pulled out of his pocket, and Joker screamed in pain, dropping the knife to the floor, "As I said, predictable", Rock threw him up against the wall, his impact was so tremendous, it shattered every bone in his body and left him motionless.

As Joker fell to the floor, he felt a hand run itself through his hair, as a dark whisper drifted into his ear, "You lose… time for your treatment"

* * *

**Rock's P.O.V.:**

I smiled as I walked in the door, why wouldn't I? I knew Lucy was inside my office. Whenever I see her face, it reminds me that even in this really screwed up world, there's at least a little something that is still pure and good. Raven was sitting next to her.

Raven… she had no idea that by her nature, the disguise she wore now should've destroyed her. A holy aura being used on a demon spawn… it should've unraveled nature before it helped, yet, she had changed herself, to the very core, so that she would never have to fear the power of the light, but that she could fight along side it. I was so proud that, in a small way, I had been a part of it all.

Then there was Tim, over in the corner. A guy with the guts to take over, even after he saw what happened to the Robin before him. I liked the strength he displayed, in the face of any danger, but his slight naïvety, the black and white, right and wrong view, did piss me off a little bit. But to be fair, I counted him as an ally, not something I do often.

As I looked at the three of them, I felt a little excited, "Big news! Starting today, I have a new patient!"

Tim's eyebrow furrowed, "Who is it?"

"Jack Norman. He's had it rough recently, and he went over the edge. But, with a little encouragement, he's come back, taken a look, and decided he wants to stay away from it"

"You look really excited for having extended your work day"

"Don't be so sure! I've got one patient that's reformed themselves. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you", I motioned towards the door, "Dr. Harleen Quinzel!"

Tim stood at attention as Harley walked in. She was dressed in a white shirt and some blue jeans, "Hi, it's nice to meet you all"

Lucy ran over and hugged her, "Mommy! Daddy said you were reformed! Now you don't have to stay here! You can come visit!"

Tim hadn't relaxed at all, he was still on full alert, so I pulled him out into the hallway. Once there, he kept his eyes trained on the window into my office, "What the hell are trying to pull?"

I smiled, "Nothing, she'll never go back to the Joker. She's accepted reality and moved on from the fantasy that the Joker would ever show her anything other than abuse. Now, she's ready to step into society, and find her place in the world"

"If I wasn't trying to make sure Quinn couldn't get her hands on a hostage, I'd be staring at you like you were a maniac"

"Oh, and there's one more thing. Tonight, I need to speak with our mutual advisor… he needs to see something…", deep within the recesses of my mind, my paranoia made me worry that someone would read my thoughts, but I looked forward to the night ahead of me, "… something more important than his regularly scheduled programs"

Tim looked away from the window and back to me, his eyes full of questions, "He won't put them off tonight, you know that"

"Tell him that someone else has already got it covered… and that it'll be a quiet night", I felt an immense gratification as I finished that sentence. Tim wouldn't know what I meant, but I… I was tingling at the thought of it. I cursed myself for letting him catch a micro-expression of my pleasure.

"What is that supposed to mean?", he tried to press me for another look, but one was more than enough, I recomposed myself and spoke with a calm tone.

"It's taken care of. There isn't a criminal in Gotham he'll need to chase tonight. Not even the Joker would make a fuss tonight", I left with Lucy and Raven quietly after that. I wished Harley a goodnight, and drove us home.

Once Lucy was tucked in, me and Raven sat down and looked at the clock: ten minutes until eight o'clock. Raven let a sigh out, "I still can't believe you're going to see him"

"It's not like I can abandon him… he wouldn't abandon me"

"I find that hard to believe"

"The evidence is there… I can't deny it, if he didn't care about me, I wouldn't be here"

"That doesn't justify the fact that you're his fallout for survival"

"Nothing does, because I wasn't meant to be his fallout. I wasn't meant to be, period. This isn't something he condones, it's something he can't stop. Although, I will be doing a little stress relieving tonight"

"That… sounds ominous"

"I told Batman to take the night off, if he visits this room, tell him to check out room 66, that's where it's waiting for him. If he doesn't show up… well, he'll show up", I contained my urge to smile as I walked out. Raven didn't say a word, but I could tell she was worried about me… not that she had no reason to be.

As I stepped out into the street, I was met by the blade of a sword, a sharp, well-crafted one, held by the steady hand of an expert, "You will follow me to Ra's"

The voice was familiar, "Liliana? I thought you were converting to becoming a nun"

"My lord has called me to a different standing"

"He does work in mysterious ways, God"

"We are not to waste time, let's go"

"I know where he is. We can walk normally, I just have to do something first", I reached down and rubbed my thumb against the pavement, creating a small circle in the dirt. I drew a few symbols and spoke a few words, then looked back at her, "Much better"

"What is that?"

"Just don't think about harming an innocent bystander, and you'll be safe, tonight"

"You have changed much since last I saw you"

"If I had the choice… I would've stayed the same"

* * *

**3rd Person P.O.V.**

Bruce contemplated what Tim had told him, from the police reports, it had been holding true, not even so much as a teenager with a paint can was acting up. He had been scanning the streets for nearly an hour, and not so much as a peep had been uttered.

Something was wrong… horribly wrong. The adress was obviously a trap, but what other choice did he have? Bruce knocked on the door, it was answered by a groggy Raven, "Oh, it's you. Come in"

For the first time in a long time, Bruce casually walked in through the door, cape and all, "Where is he?"

"He's not here, he said you need to see room 66"

"Where did he go?"

"To see Ra's al Ghual"

His face became furious, "And you let him?!"

"There's nothing Ra's can do to Nicholas, and Nicholas would never hurt Ra's"

"There's something you're not telling me about this situation"

"Wait, he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

* * *

Rock looked at Ra's, chained to the wall like a rabbid animal. His foaming at the mouth and ravings made it convincing, the thought that he was a monster. But Rock knew better, even as he looked into those deep, menacing eyes, he didn't feel any hatred.

He grabbed the sides of Ra's head, and Ra's began to scream violently. In that moment, Rock felt every fiber of his body roaring in agony for release, but he kept his hands on the sides of his head. Once the pain subsided, Rock let go, as Ra's faded out of consciousness.

Rock panted, trying to grab air he'd long denied himself, then he turned to Talia, who stood behind him, her posture reading defensive, but grateful, "Thank you"

"I don't give a damn about you", Rock's voice was heavy and forced, "Rot in hell for all I care, you're just another damn killer. You're lucky I'm in such a good mood, or I would've killed you already"

Talia took a step back, "… Goodnight, Nicholas"

As she turned to leave, she found a wall of resistance in a black, rubber suit, "Hello, Talia"

"Bruce!"

"How good of you to visit, detective…", Ra's had forced himself awake, but he was thouroughly exhausted, "What is it you want?"

Bruce looked down at Rock who was now unconscious, "He's coming with me"

"No, Bruce, leave him…", Ra's was weak, but he rattle the chains that bound him with all his might, "He cannot… leave yet"

"He isn't your property, Ra's"

"No… but he is my son"

"Son or not, he needs help"

"I want to help him…"

"Unless you have a state of the art detox room, I don't think you can help him"

"I do… but we must be quick, before he wakes"

* * *

When Rock awoke, he could feel it, his mind had been overloaded, ther was no stopping it; there was a rhythmic beating in his chest, and he wasn't making it purposely.

From the outside of the room, Ra's and Bruce looked on, through a glass window. Ra's sighed, "Another addition to my long list of regrets…"

Bruce watched as Rock picked up an AK-47 and unloaded it into several parts of his body, "This isn't your fault, he chose this for himself"

"After being taught the importance of being a strong character who acts on the path of good, there was little doubt he would do something… rash"

"Not even you could predict he would rip his own heart out", Bruce felt the need to look away, but for some reason, his eyes were locked steadily as he watched Rock reach for yet another knife to plung into his body.

"You've seen him more recently, detective, how has he been?"

"Not like this"

"That's good... it means he's been keeping himself in check"

"He's advanced past the Lazarus pit, hasn't he?"

Ra's hung his head, "It would appear so. It isn't surprising, he _was_ born in the waste it creates, anything that crawls out of that deserves immortality and a life of luxury"

"He didn't portray his life that way"

"That is my fault... because I raised him to be a soldier. From the day he was released from the test tube, I taught him to rely on his instincts, and trust them above all else. He was given a hard life, frought with the anger and resentment of being forced into the shadows, when he so rightfully deseved the limelight", both of them averted their gaze as Rock took hold of a meat grinder, "It broke my heart, the day he came to me and told me he had accepted a quiet and peacefull existance. I was ready to send him out into the world, and he was content with just living in it"

"Most test subjects reject their position, try to rebel against the people running the project. He was ready to eliminate the entire facility for their cruelty, then his mind was changed as you showed him kindness. The first thing you ever taught him was not to judge too quickly, and he's manage to refrom some of my greatest enemies by seeing through their madness, and then settling them into normal people"

Ra's looked at Bruce with a concerned face, "He's been in company with psychopaths?"

"The worst of the worst, and he's returned sane"

Ra's shook his head, "No... nobody could certify him as sane. There has never been a human being that could get inside Nicholas's mind. Not I, nor any other hired gun I could find came close to finding even a hint of a trail leading to him. I even considered asking you for help, but then he contacted me, he had learned of my true identity, and my ideals. He told me that he believed in my cause, but not my methods, therefor, he would operate with the same end goal, but he and I would act as seperate powers, and it seems that his reach, be it smaller than mine, has been all the more powerful. But at the same time, he had changed... one cannot describe it easily, however, it can be seen with no effort on nights when he becomes ritualistic"

"Has he ever killed anyone, on a night like this?"

"Goodness, no, he wouldn't take a life, not even for his own", the two of them had now turned away from the window completely, gratefull that the windows were soundproof, so that they could avoid hearing the horrible sounds from inside, "He carries his burdens alone... that's one of many points where you and he are similar. Nicholas was the perfect heir, but in him, I saw the innocence of the world, so I kept him away from all of my endeavors"

"He seems to have lost it all the same"

"Quite the opposite, if he didn't believe in what he stood for, if he let the darkness swollow him, then the world would've perished long ago. The strength in Nicholas is only beaten by his will to control it... I cannot say I've ever met another man that would subject himself to even half of the horrors Nicholas has"

Bruce turned back to look through the glass, Rock was now little more than a bloody lump, having done more than enough to break himself quiet thoroughly. Over the course of a few minutes, he slowly got up, his bones mending themselves and his muscles rearranging themselves where they belonged. Rock looked up at Bruce, his white eye now stained red, as if this madness had tained it, and the green one remained pure, as his tears kept it pure from all that would seek to tain it. Bruce watched as he walked back to the various weapons, scattered out all over the floor, hesitating as he held up another knife. Ra's saw this and tackled Bruce to the ground, "Get down!"

Those were the last words Bruce heard before a the building was reduced to a pile of rubble. When he regained consciousness, he found himself staring into the eyes of a man he didn't recognize, who pulled him out of a small pile of rocks, "Are you okay?", his kind voice anchored Bruce's attention

"Where... Rock...", his lung was probably collapsed, but he tried hard to speak.

"Dr. Rock is gone, he took down the facility and turned that... whatever pit black. After that, he gave me this adress and told me to find you. He looked scared"

For the first time, Bruce got a good look at his rescuer, the man was about his height, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a faintly familiar face, "Who... are you?"

Bruce realized exactly who he was as his grin spread, "C'mon, Bats, I go one night on the straight and narrow, and you don't recognize your old friend?"

Bruce reached for his utility belt, "You... escaped..."

He laughed, but for once, it was a simple chuckle, without malice or killer instinct, "Batman, it's me, Jack Norman. I used to be the Joker"


End file.
